I have an appointment tomorrow with my old guy. He is on Metacam but it's just not enough any more. He is having a really hard time getting around and I'm afraid he will fall down the stairs. Once up and walking he is okay going outside and is happy. I am going to ask my vet about steroids tomorrow. Anyone have any experience with them? This is a last resort of course as he is old and needs help and if complications arise then I did the best I could for him.

Is this for arthritis? If so, have you tried an oral hyaluronic acid, brand name Trixsyn or Lubrisyn? Works wonders, you can usually see results within a week.

I am a BIG fan of Lubrisyn, please try this on your dog before you go to pain meds. Pain meds should be the LAST thing you do before you make the ultimate decision. Good Luck, really Lubrisyn works ! [on puppies too]

ETA: Not all hyaluronic acid is the same and you should use a high molecular weight HA, Trixsyn and Lubrisyn are both high molecular weight.

Lubricin and Glycoflex III are great with the metacam.

Going through the same thing with a couple of arthritic oldsters. Lubrisyn was not effective with either boy. Adequan injections are much more effective. For better pain management, use Tramadol. You can start on a low dose and move up. I used to order it from Canadian pharmacies until my vet found an even cheaper source.

One thing that is a big help is a lifting harness to help them get up, and also go up and down stairs. They learn very fast to wait for someone to help them!

Old dogs are wonderful, I cherish that stage as much as any other.

I had no luck with Lubrisyn on my old guy. Guess it's hit or miss.

a big towel makes a pretty good "lifting harness" in a pinch, too

You might ask about using some Tramadol when needed.I use it on the days when my old girl's Metacam is not doing the trick.

I am going through this now with my old guy, we have a wellness vet appointment for next week. He has been on rimadyl. I tried the Lubrysin with him and my old girl and did not see any difference with either. They are on Dasuquin as well. Hard to see them having difficulties knowing how strong they used to be. We help him up the steps now, he will stand at the bottom and wait for us. He can still chase after a girl in season though!

Try acupuncture -- has worked very well for 4 of my dogs, including one that had cancer and was on 2 different pain meds. He loved it -- would hop right up on the table and lay on his side waiting for the needles.
The cold weather seems to make arthritis worse in many cases so giving them a warm place to lay out of drafts also helps alot. I bought one of those pet mats that has a space blanket type material inside it and reflect heat back -- my 13 1/2 year old girl loves laying on that.
Good luck, it's hard seeing them in pain.

To the OP....be very careful about giving your dogs steroids. Steroids and NSAIDS do not mix......However...Tramadol can be given with or instead of Metacam. Just call your Vet for the appropriate dosage. Adding a good joint suppliment such as Dasaquin, Cosequin, Glyco-Flex or Synovi G3 will help as well. Best of luck with your Senior Labbie. I just love the oldies!

Don't know what you are paying for tramadol, but check the $4.00 drugs at WalMart.

Me too, Leslie :( My boy has had a rough few months. I have been trying to delay using NSAIDS regularly for as long as possible. He has been on Cosequin for years and recently switched to Dasuquan per my vet's recommendation. We tried acupuncture which didn't seem to be making a significant difference. Next a course of Adequan, which I do think has helped a bunch. He is also being seen by a canine chiropractor which is VERY helpful. I have Metacam and Tramodol on hand. I have been giving Metacam daily for about 10 days and am going to go down to every other day and see how he tolerates that. Thanks for the suggestion about Lubrisyn- that's one thing we haven't tried yet. I HATE watching my beloved boy age. It stinks.

For those of you who did not get results with Lubrisyn, did you dbl dose the first week or two?

I have heard this recommended by the manufacturer - than go down to normal maintenance dose.

Yes I did. I saw no improvement with either of the two dogs I tried it on, who both have arthritis.

I have a 13 and 8 month old female with several areas of arthritis affecting her. We have decided on a combination approach for her using some TCM anti inflammatory herbs called Drynaria, acupuncture, Tramadol on a daily basis, and Metacam every other day to help limit liver and kidney effects. She also gets NUPRO with the joint supplement in it. She gets fish oil twice a day as well. We have not tried the HA approach yet. My vet is of the opinion, after reading the research, that oral administration is less effective than IV or direct injection, but as you can read, some folks here feel they have had great luck with oral administration, so give it a try for a month and see what happens. Some literature suggests that the formula for Lubrisyn is not great for dogs who are being given Vitamin C for a supplement, so the Trixsyn formula would be a better choice.

She is doing well on this regimen. She can no longer hike in the mountains, but she can manage a mile or even a bit more on level ground at a strolling pace, and doesn't come up lame. She also has orthopedic foam beds instead of the deep soft beds like the ones from Orvis; hard for her to get out of them.

Good luck. There are options to try, as you can see. Each dog is unique--I tried several other joint complex brands with little effect, but the Nupro seems to help her. Her eyes are bright, she is a happy girl who still loves to meet and greet strangers of all sort, and her quality of life is still high. Only you can make the decision about when enough is enough for your old one, but it sounds like you have several other things to try, and hopefully one or more will help. I wish you well.